Mentor: Dr. Keith Warner OFM Reader: Dr. Leslie Gray The ... · Acknowledgments://...
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Acknowledgments: Many thanks to Father Constant Bossou and Ma9 Orosz for offering insights into their work. Thank you to my advisor Dr. Keith Warner and reader Dr. Leslie Gray, and everyone in the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship for offering their advice and support!
The Future of Solar PV Microgrids in Sub-Saharan Africa: How Social Enterprises can Accelerate the Spread of Renewable
Energy to Off-Grid Communities
Erika Francks (Environmental Studies major, MIS minor) Mentor: Dr. Keith Warner OFM
Reader: Dr. Leslie Gray
The Problem: Energy Poverty The SoluNon: Solar PV Microgrids
Methods
Site SelecNon Criteria Conclusions
Benefits of Solar Microgrids • Impact: Improvements in household health, safety,
producNvity, and educaNon.
• Versa-lity: Microgrids can be isolated or grid-‐connected and can be scaled to fit growing energy demands.
• Affordability: Solar PV panel and lithium ion ba9ery costs are dropping rapidly.3
• Scalability: Solar PV has shortest project lead Nme of any power generaNon technology.
• Opportunity: IEA esNmates 100,000-‐200,000 new microgrid
installaNons in sub-‐Saharan Africa by 2040.
Solar Energy Ladder
• In 2015, the UN idenNfied “affordable and clean energy” as one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals
• 1.2 billion people worldwide without access to electricity1 • 83% of households in rural sub-‐Saharan Africa are off-‐grid2 • IEA esNmates that despite electrificaNon efforts, 530 million
Africans will sNll lack access to energy in 2040
• Interviews: I interviewed Father Constant Bossou, an electrical engineer with experience installing solar microgrids in Benin, and Ma9 Orosz, founder of STG InternaNonal, an enterprise developing solar microgrids in Lesotho.
• Field observa-ons: I incorporated observaNons from my Nme spent doing research for ONergy Solar, an enterprise installing solar microgrids in East India.
• Literature Review: I analyzed relevant reports and journal arNcles to compare technologies and uncover best pracNces for site selecNon.
Kerosene Lantern Solar Lantern Solar Home System (SHS)
Solar Microgrid Na8onal Electricity Grid
Local weather and terrain Distance from nearest urban center Housing density and catchment area Energy requirements Ability/willingness to pay Community Dynamics
1: Solar microgrids can electrify enNre communiNes with affordable, clean, and produc8ve energy, and can be scaled to meet growing demand.
2: Solar PV microgrids are the best opNon for dense, off-‐grid communiNes unlikely to be connected to the naNonal electricity grid.
3: There is a need for further research into best pracNces for solar microgrid enterprise business models.
Next steps: I will develop a prototype “playbook” for entrepreneurs looking to start their own microgrid enterprises.
References 1 Africa Energy Outlook. Rep. Paris, France: InternaNonal Energy Agency, 2014. Print. 2 Warnecke, Tonia, and Ahiteme N. Houndonougbo. “Let There Be Light: Social Enterprise, Solar Power, and Sustainable Development.” Journal of Economic Issues L.2 (2016): 362-‐72. EBSO Publishing, Apr. 2016. Web. 18 May 2017. 3 IRENA. Solar PV in Africa: Costs and Markets. Rep. N.p.: InternaNonal Renewable Energy Agency, 2016. Print. Photos: Budsock, (M.A.) Andrew. “SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy for All.” Impakter. N.p., 01 Mar. 2016. Web. 18 May 2017. “Tinu Solar (Lantern).” Green Market Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2017.
Thesis: In off-‐grid locaNons that fit site selecNon criteria, solar microgrids can offer communiNes the best energy soluNon by supplying clean, affordable and producNve energy that other solar technologies cannot provide.
UN SDGs 2015